As unlikely as it seems now, that was the future Canadian star’s first taste of pro soccer after scoring a one-night gig as a ball boy for a 1993 international match between the national teams of Canada and Germany at Varsity Stadium in Toronto.

Ottawa soccer legend Lyndon Hooper made it all that more memorable by presenting the wide-eyed youngster from Scarborough with his game-worn Canadian jersey after the match.

It’s a night the now-GM of the Ottawa Fury FC will never forget, and while he can’t promise game-worn jerseys to everyone, de Guzman is hoping to give local kids their own first interaction with the pro game after the Fury FC on Friday introduced a new Club Affiliation Program aimed at supporting the local game at the grassroots level in the Ottawa-Gatineau region.

Local soccer team members along with members of the Ottawa Fury FC help launch a new Club Affiliation Program at the Louis Riel Dome.Wayne Cuddington /
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The program, tagged Soccer For Everyone, aims to provide support to players, teams and clubs in the community by increasing growth opportunities through play, talent identification, learning and teaching resources as well as access to professional facilities.

“This goes right back to when I was young growing up in Toronto,” de Guzman said while local youngsters went through their paces on the pitches at the Louis Riel Dome in Gloucester. “I grew up never having a pro team to look up to. Toronto just didn’t have one then.

“At that time, you more likely played as much as you could and looked for a (U.S.) scholarship. I took the big leap and tried it professionally. While it didn’t work out the first time I tried, fortunately it turned out a lot better the second time.

“But now this program gives Ottawa kids something to look forward to. In my place, this (program) is something I would have really looked at 25 years ago.

William El-Azzi, 15, and Florence Belzile, 15, battle for the ball during a practice session following the launch of the Ottawa Fury FC Club Affiliation Program at the Louis Riel Dome.Wayne Cuddington /
Postmedia

“We are going to bring our professionals in contact with club teams and organizations, and I think it’s going to be great to have that connection. We have a responsibility here, and I think it’s a great opportunity for the future of soccer in Ottawa and Gatineau.”

The program already has 11 organizations on board and the expectation is that it will grow among community clubs, independent academies and local soccer organizations in three key areas: sport development and community support; access to professional soccer; and brand and marketing enhancement.

“This program has really been an evolution of the last three years,” said Audra Sherman, the manager of Fury development programs. “Soccer registration is down 24 per cent locally and that statistic really bothered us.

“We want to make sure kids are playing no matter the level of their abilities. We are there for them.

“So we went to the local clubs and heard what they had to say, and we heard that they needed pro opportunities. With this flexible model, there is truly Soccer For Everyone.”

Young soccer players during a practice session following the Ottawa Fury FC launch of a new Club Affiliation Program at the Louis Riel Dome.Wayne Cuddington /
Postmedia

The Fury FC rolled out all 12 current members of the 2019 squad less than two weeks before the official start of training camp. Next week is all about physicals and meetings before they begin indoor workouts in Gatineau on Feb. 4.

Several more players will be added before that date, but Friday was all about connecting with the community.

Veteran Jamar Dixon of Ottawa, Max Tissot of Alymer and youngster Jadon Vilfort, another Ottawa product just 18 years of age, all spoke of the trials and tribulations of reaching the pros.

“Kids today have so much more opportunity than we had,” said Dixon, a Fury midfielder. “When I was younger, I wished for something else because there wasn’t a lot of opportunity.”

Tissot, a defender with the Fury, even had to leave home for a Laval-based sports-étude to take his game to the next level.

Ottawa native Jadon Vilfort was on hand as Ottawa Fury FC launched a new Club Affiliation Program at the Louis Riel Dome.Wayne Cuddington /
Postmedia

Vilfort, meanwhile, got a taste of things training last year with the Fury, then made his debut in September and earned a contract.

“I started playing at 12 and just bounced around from team to team,” said Vilfort, another defender. “I frankly just played everywhere I could.

“The Ottawa Fury really presented me with the opportunity to play pro at some point and I got to see the speed of the game. It was really hard at the time, but to get that first contract felt just amazing.”

Club leaders interested in learning more should visit FuryInTraining.com for more information.

Ottawa Fury FC player David Monsalve gives instructions to James Eagle, 15, and Florence Belzile, 15, during a practice session following the launch of a new Club Affiliation Program at the Louis Riel Dome.Wayne Cuddington /
Postmedia

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